Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF CALCIUM IN SIX MOLLUSCAN SHELLS OF TAMILNADU COAST, INDIA

Darwin, Ch. and P. Padmavathi

Abstract

The present study was aimed at estimating the calcium content of six species of molluscan shells which are commonly available along the east coast of India at Jameelabad, Tiruvallur district, Tamilnadu. The six species of molluscan shells belonging to Gastropoda and Bivalvia have been studied for the present study. Among them, Anadora granosa shell was observed to contain high calcium concentration (980±26.4 mg CaCO3/g) followed by Meretrix meretrix (912±31.21 mg CaCO3/g), Crassostrea madrasensis (912±22.56 mg CaCO3/g), Perna viridis (792±20.2 mg CaCO3/g), Telescopium telescopium (621±11.37 mg CaCO3/g) and Pirenella cingulata (420±6.8 mg CaCO3/g). The pharmaceutical and other industrial applications of shell calcium have been discussed.